Control apparatus



A. H. CANDEE.

CONTROL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 8, I9I5.

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' ATTORNEY A. H. CANDEE.

CONTROL APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED 050. 8, 1915.

INVENTOR Andrew/i Cdndee.

2 SHEE1%S -SHEET 2.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW H. CANDEE, OF WIIKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTBIC AN'D MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

CONTROL APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW H. CANDEE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of VVilkinsbur in the county of Allegheny and State 0 Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Control Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to control apparatus for an electric vehicle and particularly to a special or station handle for a controller having a normal central or brake position, off positions on the opposite sides of the central position and forward and reverse positions adjacent to the off positions.

By station handle I mean a special handle member that is employed only when the vehicle is standing, as in a station or car-house.

One object of the present invention is to provide a station handle so constructed that the above-mentioned controller shall be locked in one of its ofl positions to permit the use of lighting and heating circuits, but to prevent the vehicle brake from being continuously applied during the standing period.

Another object of my invention is to provide a station handle of the above indicated type that shall reclude the operating of a switch connected to the controller unless the controller be in one of its oil positions.

A further object of my invention is to provide a station handle, for a controller of the above indicated class, which has attached thereto a plug that may be inserted in a plug switch only in case the controller is in an off position.

In the prior art, controller handles of the above type are disclosed, but, in each case, there is a failure to provide means for preventing the handle from serving as a means to move the controller to one of its operating positions adjacent to the off position. However, according to my invention a station handle is provided with means that preclude the same serving as a handle for moving the controller to a running position.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a plan view of a controller provided with a handle constructed in accordance with my invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the controller in the central or brake position, a portion of the cover being removed, Fig. 3 is a plan view of the station handle, and Figs. 4 and 5 are side and end elevations of the controller handle. Referring to the drawings, a controller 1 is provided with a cutout switch 2, a reset switch 3, a shaft 4 and a contact drum 5 mounted upon the shaft 4. The drum 5 embodies contact segments 6 and 7 which are adapted to effect engagement with contact fingers S and 9, and a contact segment 10 which is adapted to bridge contact fingers 11 and 12 when the controller is in its central position. Adjacent to the contact drum is mounted a shaft 13 upon which two spring-compressing members 14 and 15 are slidably mounted. A coil spring 16, which surrounds shaft 13, is disposed between the members 14 and 15 and is adapted to hold the said members against stops 17 and 18, respectively. Levers 19 and 20 serve as connecting links between the drum and the members 14 and 15. The inner ends of the levers 19 and 20 are pivotally connected to the drum 5 and their outer ends are respectively connected, by pin-and-slot connections, to the members 14 and 15. The outline of a controller handle 21 of usual construction for the customary operating purpose is shown in Fig. 2, and in Fig. 1 are shown two stops 22 and 23 for limiting the movement of the controller handle 21. Referring to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, a station handle 24 is provided with a shaft 25 which is adapted to fit within a socket 4 provided in the outer end of the drum shaft 4. An extension 26, in the shape of a sector of a circle having its center alined with the center line of shaft 25, projects from the upper end of said handle. An arm 27, having an orifice 28 therein, projects laterally from the lower end of the handle. A plug 29, which is adapted to operate the cutout switch 2, is joined to the lower end of the handle 24 by a flexible connection 30.

Inasmuch as the circuit connections effected by the controller and by the cutout switch 2 and the reset switch 3 are old and familiar to those skilled in the art, I have not deemed it necessary in the exposition of the present invention to illustrate or specifically describe such circuits. It will be understood that my invention is capable of being advantageously employed with any set of circuits that perform the general functions outlined in the present specification.

In case the controller is in its normal central position, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the brakes of the vehicle will be operated by means of a circuit which is closed by the contact segment 10 bridging contact fingers 11 and 12. In the first posi tion of the controller, either to the right or to the left of the central position, are disposed the off positions and adjacent to the off positions are the forward or backward running positions. In case the operating controller handle 21 is released when in any position except the central position, the spring 16, operating through the member Ll and the arm 19 or the member 15 and the arm 20, will instantly return the controller to its central position.

The circuits for the lights and heaters of the car and all circuits passing through. the controllerdrum are under the control of the cutout switch 2, in accordance with prior practice. Thus, all car circuits will be broken. in case the plug of this switch is removed. In many cases, however, for instance, when the car is standing at a station it may be desirable to release the operating handle 2]. and have the circuits of the lights and heaters of the car closed without operating the emergency brake. As has been set forth, when the controller handle 21 is released the same will be instantly returned to its central position to automatically operate the brakes. Accordingly, it necessary to provide a station handle that may be locked in one of the off positions of the controller.

in my controller, the station handle 25 the sector portion 26, the shaft 25 and the arm 27 are so disposed in relation to each other that the plug 29 may be inserted in the cutout switch 2 only when the controller is in one of its off positions, and after the operating handle 21 has been removed. In case the shaft 25 of the station handle is mounted in the socket of shaft and the plug 29 is removed, the sector portion26 prevents the handle and the drum 5 from being moved more than one position to the left of the central position because of its engagement with the stop 28. The arm 27 mounted on the lower end of the handle 2% is utilized to prevent the plug 29 from being inserted in the switch 2 except when the handle and controller drum are in the off position to the left of the central position, as illustrated in Fig. 1. In case the station handle 24 is moved to the left while the plug 29 is removed, the sector 26 will engage the stop 22 before the handle 24 uncovers the socket of the switch 2, thus insuring that the plug 29 cannot be inserted therein while the controller occupies its normal central orbrake position. 7

center of said shaft, an arm projecting at right angles from the lower end of said body portion and having an orifice therein, a plug adapted to it in said orifice and a flexible member for joining said plug to the lower end of said body member.

2. lna controller, a contact drum having a central position and an off position'on each side of said central position, a swi ch a con troller handle provided with nieansfor preventing the operation of said switch unless said drum is in one of said oif positions and for locking said controller in an off position. v

3. The combination with a controller having, a central position and two off positions, and a switch, of a controller handle provided with means for preventing the operation of said switch unless said drum is in one of said off positions and for locking said controller in an off position.

The combination with a controller having a central position and forward and reverse positions, and a plug-and-socket switch, of a controller handle having the plug of said switch attached thereto and provided with means for preventing the insertion of the plug in said switch socket in case the same is mounted on the controller unless the controller be in the firstposition at one side of the central position.

5. In a controller having a central position and forward and reverse positions, the combination with a shaft, a contact drum mounted on said shaft, and a plug switch, of a controller handle having the plug of said switch attached thereto and provided with means for preventing the insertion of the plug in said switch socket, in case the same ismounted on said shaft, unless the controller is in the first position at one side of the central position.

6. In a controller having a central position andforward and reverse positions, the

combination with a shaft, a contact drum mounted on said shaft, 2, plug-and-socket switch, and two controller stops, of a controller handle having the plug of said switch attached thereto, a sector shaped portion extending from one end of said handle, and means for preventing the insertion of the V plug in the socket of said switch, in case said handle is mounted on said shaft, unless the sector portion is in engagement with one of said controller stops.

7. In a controller having a central position and forward and reverse positions, the combination. with a shaft, a plug-and-socket switch, and two controller stops, of a controller handle having the plug of said switch attached thereto, a sector shaped portion extending from one end of said handle, and means for preventing the insertion of the plug in the socket of said switch unless the sector portion is in engagement with one of said controller stops and the controller is in the first position at one side of the central position.

8. In a controller having a central position and forward and reverse positions, the combination with a shaft having a socket in its outer end, two limiting stops, and a plugand-socket switch, of a controller handle having the plug of said switch attached thereto, a shaft in the upper end of said handle and a sector-shaped portion having a center alined with the center line of the shaft joined to said handle, and means for preventing the insertion of the plug in the socket of said switch, in case the handle is mounted on the controller with said handle shaft in said controller shaft socket, unless the sector-shaped portion is in engagementwith one of said stops.

9. In a controller, a contact drum having a central position and forward and reverse positions, a shaft for supporting said drum, two limiting stops radially disposed with respect to said shaft and equidistant from the central position of said drum, and a plugand-socket switch, of a controller handle having the plug of said switch attached thereto, a shaft joined to the upper end of said handle, a sector-shaped portion extending from the upper end of said handle and having a center alined with the center line of the shaft, and means for preventing the insertion of the plug into the socket of said switch, in case said handle is mounted on the controller, unless the sector-shaped portion is in engagement with one of said stops.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this th day of Nov. 1915.

ANDREW H. CANDEE. 

